Hasta La Ideas

Global architecture studio Populous has unveiled its plans for Aramco Stadium, a 47,000-seat sports venue in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, designed to be “iconic in the football world”.

Set to host the upcoming 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the building will be defined by a spiralling form intended to evoke waves, in a nod to its position on the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Populous is also developing it to meet the requirements to be a 2034 FIFA World Cup venue.

Aramco Stadium’s curved design is intended to be “instantly and uniquely recognisable”, Populous said.

Once complete, it will form part of an 800,000-square-metre masterplan the studio is also developing for the Sports City district in Al Khobar.

“The design will become iconic in the football world and will be synonymous with Saudi Arabia’s vision to further develop Al Khobar into a global sports destination, attracting visitors from around the world,” said Populous’s general manager Shireen Hamdan.

“This world-class stadium development spans nearly a square kilometre, creating a seamless connection between the venue and the Sports City district,” added lead architect Rhys Courtney.

“In terms of scale and facility offerings, this project is one of the most ambitious of its kind globally, underpinning Saudi Arabia’s ambition to make Al Khobar one of the world’s premier sporting destinations,” he continued.

Aramco Stadium’s spiralling exterior will be formed of overlapping panels, which Populous said is modelled on “the graceful rotation of waves and the spiral motifs commonly found in nature”.

The panels will incorporate openings, allowing natural light inside where ramps and walkways will follow the shape of the exterior, leading visitors down into the elliptical seating bowl.

According to Populous, the shape of the seating bowl is designed to ensure “uninterrupted views of the pitch from every seat” while optimising natural ventilation.

For sporting events, it will accommodate 47,000 spectators, but this could be increased to 55,000 for other events such as music concerts.

The interior fit-out and hospitality spaces will be overseen by Populous-owned interior design specialist Jump Studios.

Alongside the stadium, the wider masterplan for the district will incorporate “community amenities and facilities designed to provide an unparalleled sports and entertainment experience”, said Populous.

This will include retail and sports facilities, as well as public spaces to encourage social interaction.

Populous said it is targeting LEED Gold certification – the second-highest certification issued by the international green building program LEED – for the project.

Populous is currently working on stadiums around the world, with several others also set to host games during the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

This includes the 92,000-seat stadium in Riyadh, which is set to host the final of the 2034 FIFA World Cup. It will be the largest stadium in the country once complete.

Others are a cliffside stadium in Riyadh, which will have stands on three sides, and the colourful Qiddiya Coast Stadium in Jeddah.

The visuals are courtesy of Populous. 

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